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Muggle London is one of Severus Snape’s least favorite places. The crowded streets, smoggy air, loud noises - all the things that London was - were things that Severus despised.
But, sadly, it was necessary--some ingredients were easier to acquire in the Muggle world than the Wizarding world. For many reasons Magicals who lived in the world they belong in, they didn’t go out into the Muggle world. Which, quite frankly, was good. Hogwarts’ ‘Muggle Studies’ class was outdated by at least a century or two. The wizards and witches would just be a beacon of attention. There was also the added bonus of being able to purchase them without being closely monitored by the Ministry. Just because lavender was in Veritaserum and in many addictive dream/sleep potions didn’t mean that those were the only potions that used it. The Ministry also heavily monitored sage and rosemary, muggle cooking ingredients, because they were in Amortentia, a love potion.
If the potioneer was good enough they could work around the ingredients and improve it. Or if the potioneer just didn’t like information being censored they might make a stronger, better version without the Ministry butting in, making it illegal, and then using the potion for themselves. Not that he would ever do that. Definitely not.
Leaving the store, he saw a small, powerful, obviously abused, child leaning against the wall out of breath. The kid looked like he hadn’t seen a bar of soap in weeks, and was obviously running from someone.
(Neil)
He was hungry. So, so hungry. His mother had abandoned him on the streets of London months ago, since then, Neil had eaten what most would eat in a week. The other kids on the street didn’t like him, they stole his food and beat him up. His own mother had abandoned him because of his ‘freakishness,’ why would others be any different?
Harry and his brother Neil could ignore the hunger but when they were doing nothing it was much harder. Neil hadn’t always been his brother, no that was much more recent, his ‘mother’ had left Neil with the Dursleys, who only took him because his ‘mother’ gave the Dursleys lots of money. Since then Harry and Neil had shared everything; the cupboard under the stairs, food, hand-me-downs which were way too big from Dudley, and chores. When Neil came, since then it wasn’t only Harry, there became more chores. Since then, that time years ago, Harry could hardly remember what it was like without Neil. He was more like what Harry had heard of family than the Dursleys were, more than his blood.
When Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley came out, Harry and Neil snapped to attention, picking up the bags of clothes. They were in London for a Shopping Trip For Dudders, brought along (Little freaks, you should be glad we're bringing you. Don’t embarrass us OR ELSE) to carry whatever was bought for Spoiled Dudd as the two boys called him.
On the drive from Surrey, Vernon had gotten angry for some reason and blamed Harry and Neil for it. He had also been drinking, which was always a very bad sign. Neil had always been afraid of Vernon, more so than Harry, something instilled in him by Neil’s ‘mother’ who left and ran off at the earliest possible convenience.
Carelessly, Dudley threw a bag of toys into Neil’s arms. The extra force added made the Neil drop what had been thrown and the pile of clothes topple over. Uncle Vernon whipped around and started to hit him.
Harry and Neil had an agreement, they would stay together and take whatever came--together. So, Harry thought, he was completely within his right to help his friend.
When Uncle Vernon started to hit Neil, Harry ran forward and did… something. It was like, a bomb exploding. Vernon flew back like he was thrown by invisible hands, it was like some sort of “magic” maybe, but magic wasn’t real…was it?
**** (Neil)
Neil thought that Harry was an absolute idiot!, Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley flew back by some sort of invisible force. The cruel people lay there for a few minutes, no one else noticing them on the ground- everything was calm. Neil knew it was the calm before the storm. After those few minutes, Vernon got off the ground the maddest Neil had ever seen him. Neil did the smart thing and grabbed Harry’s hand and ran.
They ran, and ran as fast as possible, ran until they came to a bright, happy flower shop, somewhere that Vernon would never think to look for or want to go in. Neil knew so he dragged Harry inside. Hiding behind a shelf of potted lupines and catnip. Vernon charge right past the shop.
“What do we do?”
“Well, that is simple.” A voice drawled from behind them, “You could come with us. I suppose you have no idea what is happening, but we can explain.” A tall blond boy stood behind them who looked to be about their age. “I’m Draco Malfoy, and you are?”
“I’m Harry.”
“I’m Neil.”
“Would you like to come with us? You obviously can’t stay here with that wretched family of yours!” Not my family, Neil corrected. Not our family- he and Harry were family, the Dursleys were just the people who housed them.
“Draco!” An older, greasy, black haired man hissed, “What if your father hears about this?” Why would it matter if the boy’s father found out that he talked to Neil and Harry? Neil didn’t have much time to wonder before the boy asked,
“Wait did you say Harry? As in Harry Potter?” The blond, Draco, looked completely shocked, how did he know who Harry was?
“...Errrrr, yeah, that is my name.”
‘What is going on!’ Neil thought to himself. Then, all of a sudden Uncle Vernon burst in from outside looking around for the two boys. Neil felt his fear spike.
“Where are you, you little bastardly bitches!” Uncle Vernon yelled.
“Come with us! Hurry! We know exactly where you can go, you just must not stay with that bear of a man.”
“What do we have to lose? It can’t be worse than the Dursley’s” Neil quietly whispered to Harry. The two strangers quickly spun around staring at him, as though they had forgotten about him.
“And who exactly are you?” The older man snapped frustratedly. Obviously, the man and the smaller boy knew of Harry was but had no idea of who Neil was. This was bad.
“He’s my brother,” Harry said. Vernon was rushing toward Harry and Neil with an absolutely murderous expression when the dark older man touched all three boys and… teleported them?
**** (Sirius)
“Moony?” Sirius called out into the long hallway of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, he had told his husband of thirteen years that he could go around the manor exploring again and he was now regretting his words. Sirius and Remus had decided to move back into his ancestral home of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black. He had been searching for Remus for the past hour and still hadn’t seen head nor tail of him anywhere.
Suddenly Sirius heard his husband’s voice coming from the other side of the manor, by the front door and fireplace, sounding distressed. Sirius ran towards the voice, his heartbeat picking up for fear that someone or something had gotten ahold of his spouse.
As he turned the corner he heads voices conversing in low mutters, thus, he could only decipher a few words,
“Boys...safe... stay… Vernon…floo… leave… godfathers…” Sirius turned another corner and found himself face-to-face with Severus Snape.
Sirius froze for a second, utterly confused as a million thoughts rushed through his head, one of which was ‘Snivellus is here.’
“Snivy Snivellus why are you here!” Sirius raised his fist, ready to punch the old schoolmate of his, when he noticed the three young boys, standing off to the side looking at him with frightened expressions.
He took in the boys’ appearances, one, who looked like the spitting image of Lucius Malfoy when he was younger, obviously Draco Malfoy.
What was going on? He knew that Cissy, his cousin would sometimes bring Draco to the manor when Lucius was in a bad mood. There was another boy, one with blue eyes and auburn hair Sirius had never seen or heard of, and then, the last one, looked just like Prongs, with Lily’s eyes, oh Merlin,
“Harry!” It was Harry, Harry his Godson. Why was Harry here and not at his blasted Uncle and Aunt’s house, where Dumbledore had put him saying that James and Lily had said to send Harry there in their will? Sirius knew they hadn’t put that but with him fighting off potential Azkaban charges there was nothing he could do. Dumbledore could have easily dispelled those charges but instead he ‘took care’ of Harry. He had said that the blood magic would keep Harry protected? Why did the boy look half starved, dead on his feet, and bruised?
**** (Harry)
“Harry!” The strange, black-haired man said looking down at Harry lovingly. Harry, being completely terrified now, and thoroughly freaked out because apparently everyone knew him though he knew no one, shrunk back behind the blond boy who was with them. Harry looked for Neil and saw him hiding in the shadows of the large hallway. Neil looked really, really scared. Harry slowly made his way over to him, knowing that he didn’t like fast, surprising movements, especially when Neil was freaked out, Harry brought the other boy into a tight embrace. Once his arms engulfed the small boy, Harry felt him noticeably relax in his arms and he smiled down at who he considered his little brother. Though Neil would argue that since he didn’t know when his birthday was, his ‘mother’ never saying anything about it or celebrating it, that he could be older.
Harry knew that there was a reason that he, Neil, and the blond were brought here, though, he wasn’t sure what that reason was quite yet.
**** (Neil)
Neil looked up into the face of the man who let who let them into the house as Harry came over to comfort him. The tall man smiled down at the two boys hugging each other and said, “Well then, welcome. I assume that you will be staying here. As otherwise you would not have been brought here. Severus why don’t you come into the kitchen and we can… catch up.”
It was obvious that the two adults knew each other… and were, not on the best of terms.
The three older men made their way into the kitchen, the younger boys followed not long after, the two brothers giving the blond a wide berth. As the three nine-year-olds made their way into the kitchen they heard the older men speaking in hushed tones,
“They can’t stay with me!” The one with the billowing black robes who had brought them here snapped irritatedly. “For one, there's everything with You-Know-Who. Lucius is obviously going to suspect me, as Draco was with me when we came here. And I mean, one of them is Potter’s son-”
“He’s also Lily’s son, or did you forget.” The other dark-haired man said. Neil knew that those were the names of Harry’s parents.
The man with the robes--Severus the others had called him--started giving the other a glare.
As the two dark-haired men continued to fight, the lighter haired, kind-looking man made his way over to the boys and gave them a heart-warming smile and said, “Why don’t you boys follow me, you all must be very hungry.” He ushered them down the hallway rattling off a long list of what foods they had.
As they kept walking Neil noticed that the blond started to look less stiff, like this place made him feel…safe. Neil didn’t know how to explain it, or what safe really meant but maybe he would learn. Maybe he, and Harry, would finally have a place to call their home.
**** (Draco)
Draco was home. Well, not his supposed ‘home’. But, here was the place where he felt the most safe, and the most loved. He would come here again, he thought, maybe he would even bring his mother, it would be a way to get both of them away from his ‘father’. The man was crazy, Draco thought, he literally worshipped the ground Volde--YOU-KNOW-WHO walked on! He meant You-Know-Who, if his father was able to hear Draco’s mental slip, it would be very bad.
They came to a dining room. Inside it was quite lavish, or at least it would be if it were not for the piles of random heirlooms, clothing, empty Girl-Scout Cookie boxes (what were those? Oh they were Muggle) and old notebooks. The three boys stopped in their tracks, Draco because of all the mess, he never seen such a mess anywhere, his mother kept the house as clean as possible and the dirtiest he had seen it is when--never mind. The two brothers, as they called themselves (Harry Potter did not have a brother, Draco would have known about that) stopped and stared. Did the Black Manor not have a house elf?
Before Draco could make a scathing comment, one of the men who Draco had never seen came into the room and ushered them to a small table in the corner that had tea and biscuits on it.
Draco watched as the two sat down looking scared and he said,
“It’s okay to sit down, for Merlin’s sake.”
The auburn haired boy chanced a glance at Draco and gave him a tentative smile, Draco gave the other a smile and decided to take it upon himself to draw the two boys out of their protective shells. The two boys both had magic, and would probably be going to Hogwarts in a few years. It would be nice to have some nice, real friends when he went to school.
As Draco thought about what he would say to the boys, Severus and Mr. Black walked out of the kitchen. “Well boys,” Black started to say. “From now on you will be safe. Feel free to make yourselves at home here. It looks like you’ll be staying here for a while.